Landing a #dreamjob through social media

December 12, 2012

Lauren F.

Rachael King was searching for her next career move. Lauren Friedman was a hiring manager looking to fill a position on the Adobe Social Community Engagement team. Guess where they turned to facilitate the process? Yup, their very own playground—social media. Both utilized their knowledge of social media to search and hire.

“Sometimes the best way to find folks for social media positions is where we live and breathe, so I was posting religiously on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and that Facebook post is where Rachael saw my update,” Lauren says.

Rachael, now a Community Manager on the Social Community Engagement team, and Lauren, a Social Community Engagement Manager, were previously connected on Twitter and had many mutual contacts, so Rachael reached out to Lauren via social media and expressed her interest in the position.

“I knew her personal blog, I knew what she had been up to on Twitter, so I knew she was very active on social media,” Lauren says. “I sent her resume to the recruiter, interviewed with her and then gave her an offer.”

Rachael K.

Rachael is one of many hires who found her position through social media. As a hiring manager, Lauren says social media is simply a continuation of traditional networking that serves as a powerful tool for job hunters.

“I think the power of social media and being able to know someone who can share or put in a good word is really powerful, and it’s fueling referral-based hires,” Lauren says.

“A lot of jobs come through networking, so this is just making that possibility more open,” Rachael says. “We have so many more ways to know somebody, so it’s leveling the playing field a little bit.”

When they’re not working, both use Twitter frequently. Rachael also likes Pinterest, while Lauren prefers Instagram, but both enjoy working for a company where they can utilize social media to connect the things they’re passionate about.

“We’re both community managers because what we love is bringing people together through experiences and humanizing the brand,” Rachael says. “Marketing is no longer just a one-way conversation. “

“It’s the opportunity to build relationships,” Lauren says. “It’s something that people really relate to, respond to and interact with.”

The Adobe environment is an exciting one for social media-related work, Rachael says.

“One of my favorite things is that everyone at Adobe is so technically minded and really forward-thinking when it comes to how things should be done. It’s a really exciting environment to be in and it fosters a lot of creativity,” she says.

For those job hunting on social media, Lauren advises a quick clean up and presenting your best image on all social media outlets.

“Make sure everything associated with your name is something you’d be proud to show an employer,” she says. “And then think about what you can do to create quality content. Make sure you have what you need to be impressive online.”

Rachael has her living resume on Pinterest. Hoping that it will inspire you to create a rich profile on your social media platform of choice.